Chapter 20: Frightening Monkey
As Ralph spoke, he took out a pristine, translucent white crystal and activated it.
A beam of light illuminated the air, creating vivid images in the center of the convoy.
Each fighter's battle scene and the slaying of the mutated fish-men appeared vividly before everyone's eyes.
"Wow...!"
"What kind of magic is this?"
"I've never heard of it..."
"Look! Everyone's fight is captured here..."
"Oh my god, I can see myself..."
"…"
Naturally, everyone marveled at the images appearing before them, their respect for the lord deepening once more.
Ralph proudly addressed the crowd:
"This is our lord's newly developed spell—Imaging Technique!"
"Look closely here. When Kalrado was ambushed by the mutated fish-men, Ralph Carlisle came to his aid."
"Ralph Carlisle had already severely injured the creature, but this coward, instead of helping, pushed him from behind out of fear!"
The image froze on the moment Ralph Carlisle struggled in panic.
The torn sleeve on his arm perfectly matched Kalrado, who lay on the ground.
With a calm expression, Ralph slowly drew his thin sword and quietly whispered:
"May the Lady of Magic guide Ralph Carlisle on his journey."
"As for you, the murderer who caused his death, I now, in the name of the Ser family and Lord Matthew Ser, sentence you to immediate execution!"
"No...!"
Kalrado, overwhelmed by fear, sobbed in regret.
But Ralph, filled with pent-up frustration, carried out his and Matthew's will without hesitation, thrusting his sword through Kalrado's chest.
In front of everyone, justice was served.
As Kalrado fell, Ralph followed procedure, destroying his skull to prevent any mutations.
The bloodied silver sword did not instill fear in the surrounding soldiers. Instead, they felt Kalrado got what he deserved.
While the soldiers remained unafraid, others were terrified!
The 16 other men Ralph had previously called out knelt in fear, trembling as they kowtowed.
But Ralph merely cast them a cold glance, his tone filled with disappointment:
"You didn't fight, not even when the enemy was right before you!"
"As punishment, you are stripped of the opportunity to become soldiers and will have your years of labor extended by one year before you can become free men."
To their surprise, the 16 cowardly porters who had narrowly escaped worse punishment let out a long sigh of relief and hastily thanked Ralph.
Ralph couldn't be bothered to explain what they had lost. He turned to look at the nine men who had lied about their contributions.
Only now did the startled men realize what had happened.
If the lord could catch Kalrado's deceitful actions, he could easily uncover their lies.
Panicking, they knelt down and scrambled to return the coins they had just received to Ralph.
Ralph, with a sharp flick of his sword, sheathed it with a resounding click.
He strode over to the first liar, Cartlan, and snatched his money pouch, snarling:
"According to Netheril Empire law, any commoner or slave who deceives, steals, or robs a noble's wealth will have a hand cut off and be sent to the mines to work until death!"
Cold sweat trickled down Cartlan's forehead. He knew Ralph wasn't lying; Ralph didn't need to. Cartlan knelt, kowtowing and weeping:
"It was my greed; I deserve this punishment..."
"Enough of the act! You fought bravely in battle, never retreating, and even saved a comrade, so the lord won't send you to the mines."
"But every lie you told about your contributions will cost you three times as much in penalties!"
"You were supposed to earn 1 gold, 65 silver, and 96 copper coins, but as punishment, you owe 1 gold, 80 silver."
"Remember, you still owe the lord 14 silver and 4 copper coins!"
"And stand tall—the lord may forgive you, but I haven't. You'll take three lashes in front of everyone. Do you accept?"
Upon hearing the punishment wasn't death or a lifetime of labor in the mines, Cartlan let out a long sigh of relief.
But the thought of losing all the money he had just received and even ending up in debt left him with a look of deep regret. Hanging his head, he muttered:
"I accept..."
Whip! Whip! Whip!
The soldiers nearby winced as they watched Cartlan stumble back to the tent, gritting his teeth through the pain as he washed his wounds with diluted purification potion to prevent mutation and infection. He emerged in clean clothes, still trembling, and the soldiers swallowed nervously.
At least it was only his pride that was hurt—not his life!
Just then, Ralph clapped Cartlan on the shoulder and spoke harshly:
"This is the first and last time!"
"Remember, our lord is merciful, but he is also just!"
"Do not test his patience with your petty schemes!"
"Now, it's your turn..."
While Ralph started a new round of discipline outside, delivering both punishment and warnings, Matthew was cheerfully reviewing his status:
"You've achieved a resounding victory, earning 1,000 experience points and an additional skill point."
"You gained 6,420 experience points from combat, along with 5 skill points (already used)."
"In total, you've earned 7,420 experience points and have 6 skill points remaining (1 point currently unused)."
"You have altered the fate of 120 individuals, gaining 642 Destiny Coins."
"What a thrill! Large-scale battles really are the key to racking up experience points and skill upgrades. Too bad this kind of opportunity isn't easy to come by..."
"Still, now that I've started down the path of a lord, if I develop my territory and build an army, I can regularly wage large-scale wars, gathering experience points in droves."
"Wait—this might work well in the short term to rapidly accumulate power and increase my level as an arcanist..."
"But without a solid foundation and proper development, the territory could suffer disastrous consequences."
"It would be like those players in my past life who relied on their ability to respawn, becoming arrogant and failing to understand their enemies. That led to their complete downfall."
"No matter how strong an individual is, they can't entirely ignore the power of numbers and organization. Just like my kingdom..."
"Build high walls, stockpile grain, and rule with patience. If I want to achieve great things, I must first lay a solid foundation."