Zarin got closer to the platform but soon noticed guards around it, keeping people at a distance from it. The guards weren't the usual guards of the town, as their armor was utterly different.
The design looked to have some similarities with that of the Dark Knight, but it didn't cover their entire face and left their chin, mouth exposed, and most part of their eyes.
Still, their armor's quality looked miles above what Heymon and the rest of the guard wore.
Zarin looked around and couldn't see any of the guards or Aldis, and only Heymon on the platform was around.
The person of the Dark Council looked down at the crowd that started gathering, and one could clearly see in his eyes being disgusted. Zarin tried to move through the crowd to get to the front, and he meant almost no resistance to do so.
He actually noticed a few were letting him pass.
'I guess my show last time made an impression.'
A little after he reached the front, the man of the Council started speaking.
"Peasants of this small place, which I don't give a damn about its name. I will call it the Nobodies' Hole," he started his speed with.
Zarin could feel the tension rising. Most people in the crowd made a fist but held themselves from doing anything reckless. A few even turned towards Zarin for a second but then turned their attention to the speaker.
"I have come here, blessing your dull lives with my presence to give a message. A message that should always be at the brains of everyone, even those of a simple mind."
Zarin already hated that arrogant person and was ready to summon Kester to order him to attack him. But he could feel some aura coming from each guard, which wasn't as tense as the Dark Knights, but they probably were stronger when all together. Of course, he couldn't see their levels, but he was confident that even Kester would have trouble facing them with so many.
"The message is to never mess with the Dark Council and its people," the person continued after a brief pause.
"This should be a piece of common knowledge, but it seems some here lacked from acquiring it. That's why we have reached this point."
He pointed toward the tied family next to him before continuing his speech.
"These people here are accused of the death of one of our people. We of the Dark Council are people to work for the greater good and lose people to protect you from the dark forces that would bring an end to your peaceful, simple lives. So when someone vile enough causes one of our…. NO, one of the WORLD'S saviors to leave this world before their time, it is our heavy duty to bring them into justice."
Some people seemed to start buying the person's story, but it clearly disgusted most of the crowd over what he said. Everyone knew Heymon, and even if they hadn't been there seeing the fight, they had heard of what had happened.
"So I, Count Hemmet of the Dark Council, declare these people guilty of the higher treason. Their sentence is to be executed by decapitation. The sentence will be held right away. Start with the girl."
Gasps filled the crowd, as nobody expected a heavy sentence like that. They knew that the Dark Council didn't enjoy its people being killed like that. Still, their execution was a severe punishment. Especially because they were executing a whole family for a crime of one.
But nobody dared to say anything as they didn't have the power to do anything about it.
Some stares fell over Mayor Oriel, who stood next to the Count and had no expression of what they did. However, Zarin actually had his eyes on her during the entire speech. He had noticed a brief grin appearing when the sentence was announced.
Zarin tried to think of a way to help Lady Emlyn and the rest, but he was as powerless as the rest. He could try Kester, but if he failed, he would be in serious trouble himself.
He was in debt to Lady Emlyn for taking care of him this past week and giving her a journal, but he would not give up his life for them.
He had already faced death too many times as it is.
His eyes turned to look at Gele, pushed at the middle and front of the platform. There was what looked to be the lower half of a guillotine so that Gele's head to stay still. It looked to be something portable, as it didn't use to be before on the platform.
A large man stood next to her with a big sharp ax and had a flint to finish sharpening his axe a bit.
Some of the guards led Gele to get her body where it needed to be, and she didn't resist. Even if she wanted to fight, she was too weak to do so.
Gele's eyes surprised Zarin since they had no fear in them. On the contrary, they actually looked to be as calm as ever.
Zarin turned his sight to the rest of the family, and he stopped when he looked toward Lady Emlyn. She also looked towards him, and he could see a similar calm emotion in her eyes as in Gele's.
He could almost hear Lady Emlyn's voice telling him that everything was ok, and he had nothing to worry about. However, he didn't see any sign of asking for help.
Turning to Heymon, he could see a similar look at him and some sadness in them.
As Alth and Alos, they were the only ones that looked to be scared of what would happen.
The axe came down swiftly and finished its first execution in just one swing.
Gasps filled the crowd once more as the head hit the wooden floor of the platform and actually rolled its way out of it and into the ground. None of the guards went to pick it up, and they just continued with the executions.
The next one was Alos, followed by Alth, then Heymon, and Lady Emlyn last. For the boys, it also took a single swing to be over with them, but with Heymon, it took two swings.
As for Lady Emlyn, it also took a single swing, but for some reason, it took the executioner longer to start his wing than with the others.
The executioner wasn't of the village and was most likely a man that the Count brought, meaning he should have no connection with Lady Emlyn. Still, there was some reluctance, and if Lady Emlyn didn't turn towards him, telling him it was ok, he might have never made the swing. Even the Count himself had asked him to start and was ignored, but with that single ok, he could do it.
'Her charisma was more off charge than I thought.'
Zarin had noticed everyone respected Lady Emlyn at a significant level. She had an aura around her that made people want to follow her words. After learning about her father yesterday, he thought that it may be an ability she had because of that unique background, but he had no time to ask.
Silence filled the place as the executions ended. They could hear only the noise of the executioner cleaning his axe for a moment.
But soon, another sound appeared — the sound of claps.
Everyone turned towards the source of the claps and saw that it was the Count.
"This was exciting. Probably the most exciting thing in this place since the place was first founded. Other than my arrival, of course."
After a few chuckles, the Count gave a signal to the guards, and they started their way down the platform and towards the gates.
"Mr… Mr. Hemmet. Won't you stay for the night?" Oriel said the moment she noticed that they were leaving.
The Count turned towards her with an unmistakable look of disgust that surprised even Oriel.
"Learn your place, peasant. Or you will be our next example."
Oriel bowed toward him to show that she meant no disrespect. Yet, at the same time, her eyes were full of disappointment that her plan to connect with the man in front of her had failed.
As they moved towards the gate and the crowd followed them, Zarin already noticed a few people at the gates.
There was a luxurious roofed carriage that was clear for whom it was and some more simple carriages. On one of the simple carriages, Zarin saw that Aldis and the rest of the guards from yesterday were in it and were chained up.
He could clearly see some bruises on them that weren't from the battle yesterday.
The carriage was ready to leave as the Count turned towards the Mayor, prepared to ask something.
Oriel was excited that she had a chance to be helpful, but the Count seemed to rethink it, turned, and entered his carriage. Disappointment returned and filled Oriel's face, but as she turned toward the direction where the executions had happened, a slight grin appeared on her face.
Zarin wanted to beat her up on the spot, and he could even try to do so without even using Kester's die, as the Mayor was a Level 0 person. Even if he didn't have offensive abilities, his body was more potent than an average person's.
But instead, he focused his attention on another task.
To bury the recently deceased family.