Chapter 65
The next day, I took my maid, Gigi, and went out to the city.
We wandered around at random and took a look at the city.
Almeria's capital, Nisir.
It's called the state capital, and it's several times larger than a normal city.
The fact that it is divided into four sections and requires four governors for east, west, north, and south, gives you an idea of the size of the city.
Honestly, it's been a long time since I entered the enclave, but I haven't been able to visit the whole of Nisir yet.
I've been wandering around the city like this to get to know the daily life of the people.
"Master, it looks like it's getting crowded over there."
"Umu. Is there some kind of a show going on?"
I noticed it and looked at where she was pointing.
It's a typical atmosphere where something is happening and onlookers are gathering.
I approached the onlookers and asked a man nearby.
"What's this all about?"
"It's execution. Today they're going to behead a rapist and murderer, so everyone's here to see it."
The man answered excitedly.
I understood.
The death penalty is often carried out in public.
It's often done to make an example of the perpetrators or to reduce the public's anger at the crime.
This time it was the latter. If it was a rapist and murderer, I can understand why he would be publicly executed like this.
Now that I know the story, I guess I don't need to look any further.
I'm the Minister of Justice, the one who has the final say on the yearly summary executions.
I've been in that position for a few years now, and I have no standing or taste for watching the death penalty now.
At the moment I was about to take Gigi with me and leave the place.
The square was filled with onlookers, and the execution platform was surrounded by them.
On top of it, the governor, the executioner, the criminal, and the people seizing him went up one after another.
The governor was dressed in formal attire. It was clearly stipulated in the law that they should do so when carrying out executions.
The executioner was a muscular man with a bare upper body.
He is carrying a well-sharpened sword that looks extremely sharp even from a distance.
The murderer's hands were tied behind his back, and he was made to kneel on the platform in a limp state.
There were shouts of abuse from everywhere.
Everyone already knew that he was a convicted rapist and murderer, and he was shouted at from all around as he became an enemy of society.
The governor stepped forward and raised his hands.
The shouting ceased considerably.
When it had quieted down, the governor faced the criminal and said in a clear voice,
"Craig Hall… Any last words?"
"–!"
The murderer, who had been kneeling and drooping, looked up and wanted to say something, but no words came out except for a grunt that escaped his throat.
"'I guess not. Then."
The governor then glanced at the executioner.
Those seizing the criminal shoved him from both sides, forcing him to lower his head.
Then the executioner raised his sword.
"—-!!!"
The criminal let out another groan and seemed to be trying to say something.
"... Bahamut."
{Yes!}
"Can you translate?"
{No problem}
After Bahamut answered, the criminal's grunts were translated into a language that was understandable through Bahamut.
{I'm innocent! I've been framed!}
"–!"
The executioner raised his sword and swung it down!
"Wait!"
I shouted, and at the same time kicked the ground, jumped up, and headed in a straight line for the execution table.
But the executioner's sword didn't stop.
I pulled out Leviathan from my bracelet and unleashed a slash.
Kinnn!
There was a clear sound, and the executioner's sword snapped in half.
The criminal's head – the one who claimed innocence – was still connected and unharmed.
"Who are you!"
The governor asked about my identity.
Like Pascal, he didn't seem to know my face yet.
"It doesn't matter who I am. That man is innocent."
"You're helping him escape! Get him! Get himm!"
Technically, it wasn't a prison break either, but the governor shouted with some agitation.
Then ten soldiers came up to the platform and attacked me.
"Fuu."
I swung Leviathan and slashed every single one of the soldiers' weapons.
In addition, I slashed the thighs and shoulders of all of them in return, taking away their strength to fight for the time being.
"Wha—!"
"""Ohhhh!"""
The governor was astonished and the crowd cheered.
"What was that, so amazing, right?"
"It's ten against one, and he beat them all in an instant."
"I didn't see how he did it at all."
Amidst the cheers, I turned to the governor.
" Hold that execution."
"Y-You don't know what you're getting into, do you?"
"That man is not a murderer."
"What do you mean! We've already established…"
"I have proof."
" – eh?"
I said, raising my voice.
My voice echoed around me, and the onlookers quieted down at the sudden development.
Just as well, it saved me the trouble of silencing them.
I looked around.
At the front of the crowd was a middle-aged woman who looked like an "auntie".
"That lady over there, do me a favor. Get up on the platform."
"You mean me!?"
The woman looked at me strangely but seemed to think it would be interesting.
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"What is it you want me to do?"
"I want you to investigate the murderer. Examine his body."
"Haah ...?"
Although she didn't understand what was happening, she headed towards the criminal.
The governor tried to stop her, but I put Leviathan to his throat and stopped him.
The woman approached the criminal and "examined" him for a while at close range.
"'Oh my God! She's a woman! A woman dressed as a man!"
The woman said, and the onlookers started to make more noise.
"..."
The governor's face turned pale.
" You were able to tell she was a woman, huh. That's impressive."
After confirming her identity, the woman said in her full "auntie" way.
I ignored her and asked her while glaring at the governor.
"It's not possible that the woman is the one who committed the rape and murder, is it?"
"T-That's not– that's not–"
"The killer's name was Craig Hall, wasn't it? That's a man's name for crying out loud."
"That's ...."
"Well, it's common practice to switch identities. Not unusual at all."
When you've been the Minister of Justice for a long time, you learn all kinds of little tricks in the field.
If the criminal who was sentenced to death is someone with deep pockets, they can bribe the people involved to switch places with them.
Of course, this is not possible for traitors or famous criminals, but if they are not, it is not unusual.
Naturally, some of the people involved are the governors who are present at the execution.
I glared at him even more fiercely.
"You got bribed for this?"
The officer turned even paler, "Uuuh".
The crowd changed their minds.
The hostility and anger that had originally been directed at the rapist and murderer, the enemy of society, gradually turned to the governor who might have let the real criminal escape.
Feeling it firsthand, the governor was at a loss for an answer.
But in any case, he couldn't answer, "Yes."
"N-No… I have no idea."
"Are you sure?"
"No! I don't know anything!"
"Then what is this?"
I wielded the Leviathan and cut the deputy's clothes.
When I sliced through the clothes without damaging them, something fell out of the cut and onto the table.
It was a glass bottle with a liquid inside.
I found out via Apophis.
"It's poison, the same poison that made her unable to speak."
"Well, I don't know anything about that – no. That is my regular medicine!"
"Oh? Then drink it. If you take it yourself and nothing happens, I'll believe you."
"Ugh…"
The man was at a loss for an answer.
The onlookers started screaming.
"Come on, drink it!"
"It's your own medicine, isn't it?"
"Prove your innocence in front of everyone!"
The governor was perplexed.
"Fuuh."
I snorted and approached the deputy while seizing him I poured the medicine into his mouth.
Apophis is familiar with poison.
I knew from that that it was a poison that would make him unable to speak for a few days.
So I forced him to drink it.
And then…
" Gehou... Gehou... Ugh... Aaah..."
The governor immediately stopped talking.
"That's an evil official!"
"Catch him!"
"Where's the real killer!"
The crowd's anger, when they realized that the governor was fully involved, was all directed at him.