Early in the morning, the city of Bathsheba was already bustling. People gathered in the city square, whispering and murmuring as they stared at the platform.
The sight was shocking: individuals, their heads covered, trapped in the pillories.
Confusion spread among the crowd. With their faces hidden, it was impossible to tell who the unfortunate souls were.
Curiosity surged as everyone tried to guess the identities of those in the pillories.
All around the square, the lord's soldiers stood watch, their presence undeniable. Particularly noticeable was the soldier standing on the platform alongside the pilloried individuals. It didn't take long for the citizens to connect the dots – the one responsible for this public display was none other than the new lord, Prince Ryan Fitzroy.
"I wonder who the lord has captured and put in the pillories?"
"They must have angered the new lord; now they're displayed here as a warning to us all."
"I suddenly recall that the former lord used to do this sort of thing..."
"Are you blind? Look at the pillories! They're from the previous lord's time..."
The buzz of conversation continued among the crowd, with some individuals even dashing out to spread the news throughout the city.
Within just half an hour, nearly every resident of Bathsheba had gathered in the city square.
The city square was teeming with activity, with many eyes fixated on the figures in the pillories.
Ryan, shrouded in his robe and hood, waited patiently for the square to fill with people before he finally stepped onto the platform.
As Ryan removed his robe and hood, the crowd looked at him with a mix of expressions.
It was clear to Ryan that the most dominant emotion in the eyes of those watching him was fear.
He hadn't anticipated that simply displaying individuals with covered heads in the pillories would draw almost every resident of the city to the square, proving far more effective than when he had previously summoned them to hear his speech.
"Greetings, people of Bathsheba! Today, I stand before you to confront the city's corruption once and for all," Ryan declared, raising his voice to ensure everyone in the square could hear him.
As Ryan's words resonated throughout the square, the crowd's reaction was a sight to behold.
"Corruption?"
"What's the lord referring to? And how does it connect to those displayed in the pillories?"
"Is the lord suggesting that he put those individuals in the pillories because of corruption?"
Ryan paused, surveying the murmuring crowd before instructing his soldiers, "Men, uncover their heads."
The soldiers nodded and began to remove the cloths covering the heads of those in the pillories.
As the cloths were lifted, a collective gasp of shock rippled through the crowd...
The city's officials and elders were engulfed in deep humiliation, unable to cry out for help with their mouths covered.
"Isn't that Elder Slyff? Elder Pommel, Elder Piri—!?"
"All the elders are here! And the city treasurer, Gura, along with his brother, the overseer of public works and agriculture, Gouru!"
"And Magistrate Del!"
"This is..."
Ryan gazed at the crowd below the platform, noting their confusion and shock at seeing the city officials and elders displayed before them. He spoke up, "You may be wondering why these esteemed officials and elders are in the pillories."
He paused, then continued, "I am here to explain that the reason our city has become increasingly impoverished is due to the corruption of these individuals." He pointed accusingly at the city officials and elders in the pillories.
"Corrupt?"
"I could believe that City Treasurer Gura and his brother, the overseer of public works and agriculture, were corrupt, but to find that even the elders and the magistrate are corrupt is unbelievable."
"I suspected they had their issues, but I never expected the Lord to actually arrest and display them here in the city square."
The crowd began to murmur and whisper among themselves. Some found it hard to believe, while others admired the lord's boldness in apprehending high-ranking officials.
However, there were still glimmers of doubt in some eyes.
As more people began to lean towards believing the officials and elders were indeed corrupt as the new lord claimed, a loud shout pierced the murmurs.
"How can we be sure that what you're saying is true, Lord!?"
This shout from the crowd seemed to demand evidence.
Hearing this, others began to echo the sentiment, "Yeah! How do we know they're really as corrupt as you claim?"
"That's right!"
As the crowd's questions grew louder, Ryan cracked a smile and turned to his steward.
"Gilbert, please present the evidence to them."
Gilbert nodded and unfurled the scroll he had been holding, revealing its contents for all to see.
"These documents, which we seized from the residences of the three officials, prove their corruption!" Ryan announced, his voice booming across the square.
The officials and elders trapped in the pillories widened their eyes in fear as they saw the papers in Gilbert's hands.
They struggled and attempted to speak, but the coverings over their mouths rendered them silent.
"Here are detailed accounts and records of illegal transactions, bribes received, and funds misappropriated by these individuals," Ryan explained, outlining the potential contents of the documents.
Then, a skeptical shout cut through the murmurs, "How can we be sure this is true? We can't even read what's on the paper!"
"Yeah! I barely know four or five letters; how am I supposed to understand that?" another voice added.
As the murmurs of discontent grew, Ryan rubbed his temples, realizing his oversight. He had forgotten that he was in a world far less advanced than the one he had come from.
Acknowledging that literacy was a rare skill in this medieval setting, he called out, "If there are any among you who can read, please come forward and read the document aloud for everyone."
Following Ryan's request, a few individuals, who knew how to read albeit slowly, made their way to the platform and began to relay the contents of the paper to the gathered crowd.
It was only then that the reality of the officials' and elders' corruption was confirmed to the public. Although many had suspected their misconduct, the extent of their corruption was beyond what they had anticipated.
As anger boiled over, some in the crowd began to throw stones and other objects at the pilloried officials and elders. Watching this, Ryan couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for them as they winced and groaned under the assault.
"Please, everyone, stop the violence," Ryan called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. The citizens hesitated, their hands pausing mid-air.
"As evident from their actions, these individuals have indeed betrayed your trust. As the new lord of this city, I hereby remove them from their positions and sentence them to three years' imprisonment in the castle's dungeons," Ryan announced, his voice resonating throughout the square.
"Only imprisoned?"
"We want justice; we want them gone!"
The murmurs of dissatisfaction spread through the crowd, but Ryan shook his head, responding firmly, "As your lord, I choose to be both merciful and just. Consider if it were you or someone you cared for in their place—you too would cling to the hope of life. And as human beings, I believe in the potential for change, whether for better or worse."
As Ryan's words fell upon the now silent crowd, his presence on the platform became more pronounced.
Clad in humble attire that belied his noble status, Ryan's compassionate speech began to reshape the crowd's perception of him. They saw him not just as a lord but as a genuinely good and kind individual, merciful even towards the wicked.
This realization brought about a sense of guilt among those who had previously doubted his character. Moreover, Ryan's promise to address the injustices of the past by repaying the debts owed to unpaid laborers and farmers ignited a spark of hope.
"As I have exposed the city's corruption, I will stand true to my word. As your lord, I pledge to settle the outstanding debts owed to our laborers and farmers by the previous Lord," Ryan declared.
The announcement was met with cheers from the crowd. The thought of their family members—spouses, siblings, parents—who were among the unpaid laborers or farmers, finally receiving their due, filled them with joy.
From a distance, an elf named Nalia, cloaked in a robe with a hood concealing her features, observed Ryan intently. His eloquent speech and his efforts to alleviate the citizens' concerns about corruption and their dissatisfaction struck a chord with her.
Nalia, having encountered many lords in her time, recognized something distinct in Ryan. His approach and the sincerity of his actions marked him as different from the others she had met, hinting at a deep sense of justice and compassion that set him apart.