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Chapter 20
Skai Vola’s parents, who had fervently defended their son, also collapsed to their knees in despair.
“Did you really do this?”
“…Yes. It was me.”
“Lord Patriarch, please kill me instead of my son. It’s my fault for not raising him properly!”
“Please, my lord, show mercy just this once…!”
Skai Vola’s parents cried out.
“If you don’t want to witness your son pay the price for the way you’ve been flapping your mouths and obstructing judgment, then shut your mouths immediately, go back, and reflect on how you raised your son to turn out like this.”
At the patriarch’s thunderous rebuke, the two of them fell silent and left without another word.
“We must go to Erasinus. If it’s him…”
The departing people muttered meaningfully.
In the end, only Skai Vola and I were left in the central hall.
The patriarch looked down at Skai Vola, who lay prostrate, with a face full of suppressed rage.
It was only the second time I had seen him angry, so I thought I wouldn’t be as scared as last time.
But that was a mistake.
The last time, when he had shouted in fury at the servants for their nonsense, he hadn’t actually been that angry.
This time, the patriarch was truly furious—to the very core—and that made him eerily calm.
Back then, it had felt like he was contemplating whether or not to kill the fools. But the way he stared at Skai Vola now—it was like he was calculating how to kill him.
“You had plenty of chances to tell the truth.”
After a long silence, Lord Tiberius finally spoke.
“Right after the accident. When my daughter confronted you. When the trial started and the evidence of your wrongdoing was laid bare for all to see. And how did you act each time?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“A bastard like you deserves punishment by retribution. At dawn, climb the mountain carrying what you ruined.”
“M-My lord, please…!”
Skai Vola raised his head.
“My lord, please forgive me. I don’t want to die. Please…!”
“The hearing is over.”
As soon as the patriarch finished speaking, one of his retainers shouted,
“Guards! Seize him and lock him up at once!”
“My lord, please! Spare me, my lord!”
Skai Vola was dragged away, and shortly afterward, the patriarch and his attendants also left.
Before I knew it, it was already dawn.
“Young lady, you’ve been through a lot. Please return to your room and rest.”
Only Gordio came over to escort me back to my room.
As we passed through the hallway, two shadows suddenly loomed over my head.
Blocking my path were the Velikia and Velikus siblings.
“Waaaah, baby! You saved us!”
Their identical tear-filled eyes welled up as they looked at me.
“Idiot, how many times have I told you she’s a lady, not a baby!?”
Even in this situation, Velikia scolded her brother.
“It’s okay.”
Before I could even finish, Velikus wrapped me in a tight hug.
“She said it’s okay! Waaaah, baby! Thank you!”
Velikia hesitated for a moment, then also ran up and hugged me.
“Then I will too! Sniffle… Lady, thank you!”
Being called baby by two actual babies was a strange feeling.
‘They must have been really scared.’
I patted their heads as they sobbed in my arms.
* * *
“Young lady, please wake up.”
At someone’s voice, I rubbed my sleepy eyes.
The faint blue light of dawn had begun to spread.
It was midsummer, so the sun rose early. I’d come to my room past midnight, so I hadn’t even slept four hours.
“Ugh…”
Drowsiness kept me buried under the covers.
“Just step out briefly and then you can return to sleep. The patriarch has ordered that you witness Skai Vola’s punishment.”
Right, now that I remembered—
“At dawn, climb the mountain carrying what you ruined.”
That was the punishment the patriarch gave him!
I jumped out of bed and headed outside still in my nightclothes.
“Hey baby, morning… did you sleep well?”
“…Morning…”
At the foot of the mountain behind the mansion, the Velikia and Velikus siblings were already there.
They must’ve been woken up while fast asleep—both looked barely able to keep their eyes open.
The ground, melted by Abelus’s power, hadn’t fully hardened yet, so our feet sank in like a swamp.
We sat down on a nearby rock, but the adults, under Gordio’s orders, bustled about, getting dirty as they worked.
“Position, clear.”
“Trajectory, clear. Injecting magic power.”
Some unfamiliar figures, wearing robes inscribed with strange symbols, prepared to use their powers.
‘Who are they…?’
As I stared, Gordio explained.
“They are from the Procellus family, creators of the Wind Power scrolls. The patriarch brought them here.”
They looked pale and exhausted, as if they hadn’t slept a wink.
The first report the patriarch must have received was likely that we’d been harmed due to the scroll incident. So, he must have brought them here on his way back.
‘They must have been through a lot too.’
The Procellus family ranked lower than ours, and knowing the patriarch, he wouldn’t have asked them nicely…
“Deploying power!”
A man in robes shouted.
One of our people shot up a fire signal, and a matching flame flared from the mountain’s lift area.
That meant preparations were complete.
“Young lady, young master. Watch carefully what happens to someone who has committed a crime.”
Gordio said solemnly.
Aaaaah…
A faint wail echoed from the mountain peak.
AAAAARGH!
The sound grew louder—transforming from an echo into a sharp, clear scream.
“AAAAAAAAARGH!”
With that piercing scream, something fell from the top of the mountain.
Sniffle, sniffle…
The terrified siblings burst into tears, but the patriarch’s aides grabbed their hands to stop them from covering their eyes.
Just before Skai Vola hit the ground—
Whoosh—!
The Procellus family’s prepared spell activated, and a massive whirlwind roared to life.
Leaves and dirt swirled violently.
“Ugh… gasp… gasp…”
As the wind and noise subsided, we heard the sound of Skai Vola lying on the ground.
His face was a mess of tears and snot.
He must’ve really thought he was going to die.
While the servants cleaned him up and organized the scene, a group of people descended from the lift.
It was the patriarch and his attendants.
The patriarch glanced at the trembling siblings and then at me, who remained relatively composed, and ordered Gordio,
“Take the children.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Leaving only those words behind, the patriarch headed straight to his office.
‘…It’s over.’
As that thought hit me, my entire body suddenly relaxed.
The sun had fully risen, and the area was bright.
“Benikus, Benikia, let’s go.”
“Y-Yeah…”
“Sis, I can’t walk…”
I led the kids back inside. I couldn’t stop yawning with every step.
“Young lady, weren’t you scared?”
As we entered the hallway, Gordio suddenly asked me.
“What?”
He pointed with his chin to the siblings who looked completely out of it.
“Not really.”
I answered nonchalantly.
“It would’ve been scarier if Skai Vola didn’t get punished.”
And I meant it. I knew too well how miserable life was in a place where the law had collapsed and nothing was enforced.
“I see.”
Gordio nodded with a satisfied smile.
He seemed quite pleased with my answer.
As the siblings went off toward the annex, I finally asked the question I’d been wondering about since last night.
“Grandpa, who was the neck-choking guy?”
Whoever it was had been very helpful, so I intended to thank them if I ever met them.
But Gordio looked confused and asked,
“Neck-choking?”
“That person from back then…”
“That was just a question. I only asked if there was a witness. The answer was meant to be something like, ‘Yes, things would be different.’ That’s all.”
…Wow.
Gordio gave me a sly wink and smiled.
What a crafty old fox…
I’d better never try anything sneaky in front of Gordio again.
