“Because you spared my life…” Levalas breathed. “Even after I tried to poison you, you didn’t have me executed immediately, like every other noble would have. I have been thinking about that all winter and that’s the main reason I accepted to come to TIranat again despite all the risks. I just wanted to meet you again, and know more about how a person could be so kind… Trust me, milord, I’ve met all kinds of people in my life, whether they were a commoner or a noble, but nobody has a heart like you. I even asked around about you in this village, and I didn’t hear a single word against you! From the old priest in the goddess’ temple, to a grain merchant I met, as well as other guards and even former slaves… They all only had praises for you… That is why I decided to surrender to you.”
Levalas smiled. “Even if it meant that I might be executed, I would rather take that risk for the small chance that you would forgive me and I’d get a chance to serve you, instead of going back to those bastards in Cinran. My life is in your hands now, and if you decide that I need to be sent to the goddess tonight, then so be it. I haven’t lived a great life, but being executed at your hands is still better than threatening and killing innocent people for that bastard Zoricus.” He looked straight in Kivamus’ eyes. “But I still ask for mercy. I have learned a lot of skills in my short life of 19 years, and if you decide to let me live, I promise to spend the rest of my life serving you and your ideals. There is no other way for me to make up for what I had to do to continue surviving under Zoricus’ boot.”
Kivamus took a deep breath. This was a lot to take in, and he would need some time to think it over before deciding anything. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, but I did give you my word that I wouldn’t punish you tonight, so for now I have to put you in the jail. Don’t even try to escape.”
Levalas, who was already on his knees, bowed deeply until his head touched the floor. “Thank you, milord, for even considering to forgive me. And no, I’m not going to run. I am ready to accept whatever you decide for me.”
“Good. You can stand up now.” Kivamus looked at the guard captain. “Take him to the jail, and give him some food too. With only two meals a day, he hasn’t eaten anything since breakfast. Whatever we decide to do with him later on, he deserves this much for telling us about Dosol.”
Levalas gave another bow. “Thank you, milord. You really are too kind.”
Hudan looked doubtful for a moment, before he nodded, and exited the hall along with Levalas. Tesyb looked uncertain about what to do, before Kivamus gestured to him to bring the other two guards inside.
Kivamus looked at the majordomo to ask for his opinion. “What do you think about…”
However he was interrupted by the outer door opening again, with Feroy and Sir Tuilas walking inside. It seemed the decision about Levalas’ future would have to wait. “What did you find out?”
The ex-mercenary exhaled. “That other guard who reported about Dosol was right. You should thank him for telling us about the assassin, not that I think Dosol would have been able to do much harm to you here. Where is he anyway?”
“He went back with Hudan,” Kivamus replied, not wanting to talk about him in front of the knight, before he silently mouthed, “Later.”
Feroy gave a nod, taking the hint.
“So Dosol really was after Lord Kivamus’ life then?” Duvas asked. “Did he accept it?”
Feroy shrugged, “Not in so many words, but it was clear enough. Although he’s still not opening his mouth about who ordered him to do that. If you give me another day, I’m sure I can find out more.”
Kivamus shook his head, already knowing it was Zoricus behind it, but he didn’t want to say so in front of the knight. “If he still didn’t say anything about who his masters are even after you and Tuilas interrogated him, I don’t think he’s going to tell it anymore.”
Sir Tuilas, who was still wearing his full plate armor apart from the helmet, looked at him. “Then it’s time for his retribution. Dosol came here under my authority, so it’s my responsibility to give a proper sentence to him for trying to kill a noble.”
Kivamus nodded, knowing he couldn’t keep acting as benevolent as he had been until now to those who had committed a crime, even though it had turned out for the better in Levalas’ case. “What punishment do you think would be right for him?”
Sir Tuilas raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised that you are even asking that. Someone being caught red-handed trying to kill a noble calls for immediate execution. That’s the only way we can deter these lowlifes from trying to shed any more noble blood.”
Kivamus scowled, hearing the highborn knight referring to commoners as lowlifes, but didn’t call him out on it. While he still hadn’t had anyone executed in cold blood so far, but after spending nearly half a year in this world, he realised that 21st century Earth’s morals were not always right for this world. He also didn’t have any prior association with Dosol to try to save him, nor did he want to keep forgiving the assassins Zoricus kept sending after him again and again. At some point his luck would run out, and one of these men would really succeed, so he didn’t want to let it get to that stage.
“I agree,” he said. “Executing Dosol is the only way here.”
The knight nodded. “I will immediately carry out the punishment myself. Where do you usually do this?”
Kivamus grimaced hearing Tuilas expecting a regular execution place in the village. Most likely the previous baron would have made a proper spectacle of it in front of all the villagers.
He looked at Duvas for an answer, before he shook his head. No, it didn’t matter where the previous baron did it. He didn’t want to follow in his footsteps in any way. Executing an assassin without giving him proper legal recourse was one thing, but making it an event for the public to enjoy was still far too barbaric for him.
“It needs to be done somewhere outside the village,” he answered. “We bury any dead villagers or bandits in the eastern hills, so we will carry out the execution outside the village walls in the east.”
“Fine by me,” the knight nodded, before he turned around towards the outer door.
Kivamus looked at Tesyb. “Call up Hudan and a few more guards. I am coming as well.”
***
Kivamus was standing some distance away from the outer walls of the village towards the eastern hills along with Duvas and nearly a dozen other guards. Night had fallen some time ago, so some of them had brought burning torches with them, which was the only source of light here. Sir Tuilas already had his sword out of its sheath, with Dosol being pushed to his knees with his hands tied behind him.
Kivamus looked at the assassin, wondering what had led to this man becoming a person like this. However it wasn’t too difficult to imagine. With bad harvests everywhere these days, and people barely getting enough to eat in the southern part of the kingdom, a man having a steady job as a guard for someone influential like Zoricus would be something to preserve, since it would allow the man to earn enough to easily feed his family, even if their neighbours might still be starving.
So when their masters start asking them to do underhanded things like threatening merchants in the case of Levalas, or sending them to kill rival nobles in the case of both Dosol and Levalas, just so people like Zoricus could gain more land and gold, the guards wouldn’t be able to say no. Sometimes it would end with the rival noble dying and Zoricus’ power and wealth increasing even more, while in other cases it would end with the guard being brought near a dark hill to be executed.
It was a cruel world, but that’s how this medieval kingdom functioned. He hoped that with his modern knowledge, he would eventually be able to prevent people like Dosol from reaching such a grim end – for at least those who weren’t killing people out of pleasure or greed – but he knew that it would take time. A lot of time. So far, he had barely been able to protect his own village, so changing the whole damn kingdom or the rest of the world was a long, long way away. But hopefully, one day he will get there.
“Any last words?” The knight asked while looking at the assassin.
Dosol spat on the ground. “I’ve nothing to say against selfish noble bastards like you all. May you all rot in…”
The knight’s sword moved right at that moment, and Dosol’s head rolled a few feet away, before his body slumped to the ground, spraying blood everywhere. Kivamus flinched seeing such a brutal way of ending someone’s life, but that was the world he had found himself in, and he had to accept it for now, for better or for worse.
The majordomo prayed to the goddess for a moment, wishing that the departed soul would get peace, before the guards began the dirty work of transferring the dead body to a ditch some of them had already dug between the nearby hills.
The knight used a dirty rag he had brought to clean his sword, before looking at Kivamus. “This matter is over, and I’ll report to the count about it. It’s a pity that we couldn’t find out who sent him, but I’m sure Uncle Ebirtas would have a better idea about it.”
Kivamus shook his head. It would be far better if Ebirtas didn’t have any idea about it… So far, it had seemed that it was only Zoricus who was trying to kill him, so even though the count was indebted to that bastard, it would be easier to deal with them if he didn’t have to worry about the Count trying to murder him as well.
“Well, we’ll see about that. Come on, let’s return now. You also have to leave early tomorrow morning.”
Sir Tuilas gave a nod as he put the sword back into its sheath, and with that, he and the majordomo, along with most of the guards, started walking towards the village, while a few of them stayed back to finish burying the assassin.
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