Translator: Cinder Translations
...
In late October of the year 1994, a chill wind swept through the Northwest Bay. In an open area next to Taldor Village, a thinly-clad cowherd was carefully tending to a few cows.
Not far away, an old cow swished its tail, and a large pile of greenish-brown manure fell to the ground, resembling a steaming mound of grass.
The cowherd's face lit up with joy. Without a hint of hesitation, he ran over and plunged his bare feet into the manure, instantly feeling a wave of warmth wash over him.
Just as he was lost in this rare moment of happiness, the sound of galloping hooves echoed from the distant road, accompanied by swirling dust. A group of knights was riding swiftly toward Taldor Village.
Dressed so smartly, they must have come from the city—perhaps friends of Lord Ferb in Frand Port.
As the cowherd speculated, the knights drew closer, stopping for a moment as if discussing something.
Suddenly, one of them charged toward him, startling the cowherd, who thought, "I haven't done anything to provoke them."
He stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
"Hey, you!" the approaching knight shouted loudly.
"Me? Are you calling me, sir?" The cowherd pointed to himself.
The knight in black sneered, "Of course, I'm not calling those cows! Now, I—"
At that moment, he noticed the cowherd's "warming" method.
Heavens above, what is this country bumpkin doing? He struggled to suppress his discomfort and frowned, asking, "Who are you?"
The cowherd trembled, partly from the cold, partly from fear.
"I'm a farmer living here."
"Are these cows yours?"
"No, they belong to Lord Ferb."
"Hmph! How dare a mere commoner without a title call himself a lord? Is that fellow in the village?"
Seeing that the knights had ill intentions, the cowherd realized it was best not to get involved in the affairs of powerful people.
"He should be at his home now," he said, pointing towards the large residence at the center of Taldor Village.
The knight turned his horse around and returned to his group.
"Lord Hayden, that Ferb should be at home; let's charge in and arrest him."
"Not so fast!" replied Ross Hayden, the head of the public security department who had personally led the team to Taldor.
"Wait until the others arrive, then we'll act. We need to create enough of a show to let the people see Lord Grayman's wrath."
As soon as Hayden finished speaking, a team appeared from the distance, all members clad in matching black uniforms—police from the public security department—running and panting.
Seeing his team arrive, Hayden turned to a nearby individual and said, "Lieutenant Markalov, watch closely. We're going to give the brothers in the army an explanation."
Markalov said nothing, simply saluting him silently.
The news about Taldor Village had reached the military at Lord Grayman's directive, igniting a wave of outrage among the soldiers. For the lower-ranking officials, it felt as if they could see their own tragic futures—if those who committed such crimes were not punished.
Fortunately, their commander was Paul Grayman, who had assured them he would handle the matter seriously. Soldiers eagerly wrote letters requesting to participate in the arrest of Ferb, but the lord only permitted a few representatives from the military to observe the trial, including Markalov.
On that day, the villagers of Taldor witnessed something they never dared to dream of.
A large group of people dressed in uniform black clothing surrounded Lord Ferb's estate tightly.
"Do you have such great audacity to know that this is... ouch!"
The servants and guards inside tried to come out to stop them but were immediately pinned down and bound.
The black-clad individuals brandished shiny swords, ready for bloodshed at any moment.
At the entrance, Ross Hayden, mounted on a tall horse, boldly addressed the onlooking villagers, "Law-abiding villagers, I am Ross Hayden, the head of the public security department for Lord Paul Grayman. We have come here not for any other reason but to seek justice. The matter of Ferb's encroachment on the compensation lands for fallen soldiers has been thoroughly investigated by Lord Grayman. Today, I, along with the judges sent by the lord's court, will hold a public trial for this sinner."
Upon hearing Hayden's words, the gathered villagers stood in stunned silence.
What? The lord is going to seek justice for us common folk?
Soon, a few raggedly dressed men and women rushed out, kneeling before Hayden, tears streaming down their faces as they shouted, "Long live Lord Grayman!"
Markalov immediately dismounted to help them up and offered them comfort.
Seeing this, Hayden thought: These people must be the victims in this incident.
As Hayden spoke to the crowd, chaos erupted inside Ferb's estate, with people being dragged out with their hands bound.
Finally, the mastermind behind the incident—Ferb himself—was brought out, carried in a daze. The lord was thoroughly drunk and had no idea what was happening.
"Ha! Is this some new play? So many people... hic... urgh!"
Hayden dismounted, pinching his nose as he approached Ferb, grabbing him by the collar, "Ferb, your time has come!"
"Time has come? What time?"
The dazed lord clearly had no idea that disaster was looming.
"Hmph!" Hayden disdainfully tossed him aside and issued orders: "Gather all the villagers; the public trial will commence immediately."
And so, on the village threshing ground, an unprecedented trial began.
The judge who arrived with the police first listed the major crimes of Ferb in the encroachment of the compensation lands, including abuse of his tax collector status, issuing high-interest loans, and bullying the families of the fallen soldiers.
The judge then announced for everyone present to come forward to testify against Ferb.
A figure emerged from the crowd, wearing a patched priest's robe—it was Hershey, the village priest Paul had met in Frand Port.
He trembled with excitement, knowing that they were going to publicly trial Ferb. Lord Grayman did not disappoint him; finally, they could take down that bully. Seeing no one responding to the judge's call, he stepped forward in frustration.
"Villagers, you must believe in the lord's court! Please speak up if you have any grievances!"
However, no one dared to step forward, until suddenly, the judge announced a significant revelation: according to the lord's order, Ferb's land would be distributed to the landless and land-poor families in the village, and those who could expose Ferb's crimes would receive additional land. This ignited the crowd into a frenzy.
The public trial quickly transformed into a grievance meeting, as buried injustices surfaced once more.
Hearing that his land was about to be taken away, Ferb's family protested loudly, clamoring to meet the lord for justice, but no one paid them any mind.
Finally, the judge quietly asked Hayden, "What do you think the sentence should be?"
Hayden snorted, "Let it be as Lord Grayman says."
Before coming here, Paul instructed that if Ferb's crimes were limited to what was already known, he would spare his life. However, if there was even a hint of additional wrongdoing, it would be death.
Considering the revelations during the grievance meeting, there were indeed several instances involving loss of life, with concrete evidence.
Soon, still thoroughly drunk, Ferb was bewilderingly sentenced to death. Perhaps he regained his senses when the noose was placed around his neck, but it was already too late—actually, it had been too late for a while.
Also sentenced to death were several of Ferb's lackeys, all of whom had blood on their hands.
Other family members or servants of Ferb who had committed offenses were punished to varying degrees based on the severity of their crimes, while the rest were either dismissed or turned into ordinary local villagers.
In short, this family that had flourished for countless generations was completely ruined.
The public trial concluded amid shouts praising the lord.
After Hayden announced the establishment of the circuit court, the long-awaited land redistribution began. However, this process could not be completed in a day or two; Alden Town would send a group of competent officials to investigate Ferb's properties and oversee the distribution.
News of Ferb's family's downfall quickly spread through the cold wind to Alden and even to other territories.
(End of the Chapter)
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