Knight and Wand

Chapter 62 War and Peace

He explained to the people the cause and process of the incident, as well as the facts deduced from the time of the lord's army's arrival.

Leon walked through the scene and asked the villagers, "Is there anyone here who is willing to make a final defense for him?"

His eyes swept across the boiling crowd, and he only saw the back of Boris's father turning around and leaving sadly.

Naturally, all that could be heard were the villagers' angry shouts and cries of killing.

"Hang him" or "beat him to death" obviously does not count as a defense.

Normally, the village thugs are hated by everyone, let alone the current situation where they have been exposed for multiple crimes.

If it was a proper trial in the previous life, relying solely on inference without direct evidence would not be enough to convict the third charge, which is a serious crime such as harboring terrorist activities or treason.

If anyone wants to defend himself, they can simply say that he was afraid for his own life at the time and did not realize that he had enough time to warn the village.

They could even use the fact that they subsequently fled to the town and informed the lord to exonerate themselves.

Of course, in this era, apparently no one is so idle as to talk about this kind of procedure.

Leon couldn't help but understand why lawyers and attorneys were a necessary part of the complete legal process.

Even for the most heinous criminals, the process of defense can allow people to clearly distinguish the most basic right and wrong. However, it is not just in this primitive social form. Even in previous lives, most people did not have the knowledge and ability to defend themselves or others.

With the current commotion, the criminals are insane, and the jurors just want to kill to vent their anger, so we have returned to the traditional tea-hall model.

Internet keyboard case solving is a hundred times more advanced than this scene.

“Since the criminal has confessed to the crime and has shown no remorse, the evidence of the two robberies is conclusive and the charges are proven.

However, there is insufficient evidence for treason and aiding the enemy, and only suspicion remains, so no sentence will be imposed. "

Regardless of whether the people around him understood what he was doing, Leon just followed his own steps and waved to the newly recruited young servant beside him, asking him to bring the rough paper booklet and pen and ink that he had prepared in advance to him.

"I make the following judgment: in accordance with the precedent of the territory, the robber Boris is sentenced to be hanged for multiple robberies, and the execution is immediate.

All remaining personal property will be confiscated and used to support children in the village whose parents have passed away."

To save paper, Leon simply wrote down today's date, December 672, 12 in the Orland calendar, as well as the criminal's name, crime, and sentence.

The original owner of the word "Feru" still recognized this.

Use basic manor court procedures to formally decide the fate of the village bully.

It’s a pity that the heraldry seal that I asked Lord Balfe to customize after returning to the city has not been made yet, and I don’t know when it will be delivered.

The stamp can only be added later.

The first trial process was symbolically completed, and the document was classified as the first territorial document. Leon asked the young men to take Boris away to await execution amid the villagers' abuse.

Then he announced the existence of the captured knight to the returning young men.

“Although the survivors in the village voted to exchange him for a ransom, you had not yet returned, so you still have the right to decide the life or death of the noble prisoner.

Whether to exchange for a ransom or execute the prisoner, as your lord, I will refer to the collective opinion of more than half of the village.

You have one day to consider and inform Brian the Blacksmith of your decision for record, and the statistics will be completed before sunset tomorrow."

After announcing the last public event, Leon stood up and left.

Now that there is some clue about the whereabouts of Lohak's sister, it doesn't matter to him whether the villagers continue to ask for a ransom or want his life.

Although Lohak didn't say anything these days, Leon could see that his friend was enduring the anxiety in his heart every day.

Leon planned to wait until Azerien's injuries were almost healed before setting off for the western port of Kantadar to contact the Falcon family to get information.

Now that the two countries are at war, it is unclear how to cross the border where the armies are confronting each other and safely enter the heart of the enemy country.

According to the location described by the prisoner, to get to the western port on the coast, one basically has to cross half of the Kingdom of Kantadar.

But among the three of them, only Azerien knew Uriah. In such a short time, even with intensive foreign language training with him every day, Leon and Lohak really couldn't speak the language fluently like the sons of nobles who had practiced it since childhood and play the role of Kantardar.

Leon and the other two were no longer interested in watching Boris's hanging.

After returning home and storing the first official document of the territory, the three men called the servants who were doing housework to help them take off their armor.

After removing the armor, everyone felt relaxed again.

Just when Leon was about to continue learning Uriah with Azerien, the servant reported that someone outside the door wanted to see him.

Going down to the cleaned and vacant lobby on the first floor, Leon sat back down on the high-backed chair he had brought back and summoned the visitor.

As soon as Toke entered the room, he knelt on one knee respectfully in front of the young lord, took off his hat and bowed his head.

"Your Excellency Leon, I am here to resign from my position as village official and to ask for your permission to move my eldest son and I out of Selva."

In Orland, even free people cannot leave the territory where they live at will.

"Do you have any objection to my judgment?" Leon asked calmly, changing his position in the chair.

"I dare not. Your Excellency's judgment is far more just and merciful than I expected.
My parents have died tragically, and my good-for-nothing son has done something so shameful to the villagers. My eldest son and I have no face to continue living in Selva. Now, when I close my eyes, all I see is nightmares. "Tok lowered his head deeply in sorrow.

Not only that, he also had to consider his surviving eldest son. If they continued to live in Selva in the future, they would inevitably be ostracized by the villagers.

“I won’t say anything polite to you. There is a saying in my hometown that if a child is not well educated, it is the fault of the parents. Although you have a good reputation in the village, you still cannot escape the responsibility of being the second son’s daily tyranny.

How about this, I agree to your application to leave the territory, but as a punishment for not raising your children well, and also as a migration tax to be paid to me, your house cannot be sold, and I will use the value of its sale to provide relief to the widows of the victims. "

Leon allowed the other party's application. He had no intention of employing this village official again, and now that the other party had taken the initiative to propose it, it was not rude.

As for the loss of two more young and strong laborers, which were already few in number, it didn't matter. The Selvans, whose population had dropped sharply, had a small number of people but a large amount of land. As long as the territory was open long enough, there would be no shortage of new families coming here to seek refuge.

As for the new village official, Leon already has a suitable candidate.

As a freeman, Brian the Blacksmith was also a respected elder in the village. He could also read and write, so he was the perfect person to help him organize the villagers. Time passed quickly.

The next evening, Old Brian came to Leon with the collected opinions of the villagers.

One hundred and thirty votes to nine. Even after a collective re-vote, most villagers still chose the huge ransom after hesitation.

Old Brian presented the record to Leon: "Everyone has made a decision except Tok and his son."

"Toker has already resigned from his position as village official and applied to me for relocation. Don't worry about him. Even if I get the ransom, I won't share it with them."

Leon put down the paperwork and said to the old blacksmith, "Uncle Brian, I plan to appoint you as the new village official. Please help me lead the villagers to resume production and ensure that the winter crops in the territory will not fail next year."

After hearing this, Old Brian's eyes twitched. He didn't expect that before he was ready to move, someone else would get there first.

After hearing the appointment from the young man in front of him, he had to temporarily put aside his plan to move.

I think Selva won't be unlucky enough to encounter such a disaster again in the short term. The question of whether to go to the north should be discussed when a suitable opportunity is found in the future.

Besides, these little lords are willing to protect Olivia.

The old man began to think.

"By the way, uncle, do you know where to find a messenger to deliver the letter safely to the south of Kantadar?" Leon asked Brian casually while preparing to deal with the follow-up matters of the prisoners of war.

This is not Earth. We cannot call to inform family members. Even if we want to get the ransom for the prisoners of war, we have to send the letter to the prisoner's hometown first.

And even if the captive's family is notified, it is still unknown how long it will take to wait for them to send someone to deliver the ransom.

According to what Leon learned from Azerien, in the past, many nobles from various countries who were defeated and captured were killed because they could not wait for the ransom.

The knight named Mammur often stayed in Redinburg in the north of Kantadar under the command of the feudal lord, but his actual territory was far away in the southeast of Kantadar.

The light has to wait for it to come and go, not to mention that there is still a war going on on the border.

Generally speaking, the nobles would entrust the task of delivering letters to capable messengers under their command.

But unfortunately, as new knights, Leon and his two companions did not have such talents around them, and they could only hope that the messengers they hired could take the letters to distant places.

He just asked casually and didn't expect the old blacksmith who Olivia mentioned, who had never left the countryside of Selva for many years, to give any advice.

But somewhat surprisingly, Uncle Brian actually answered his own question.

"There are many messengers in the Baron's town, but the war in the east is intense now, and even some remnants of the army have fled to Selva. I'm afraid the messengers in the Grey Fir Valley will not accept this commission before the war is over.

You might as well send someone farther to the west, to the county of Buneros in the territory of Farayer, where there is a developed commercial city. The messengers of the Chamber of Commerce in the city may accept the commission, but the destination is so far away and the journey is dangerous, so the price will be much higher."

Leon couldn't help but wonder after hearing this: "There is a war on our border, but isn't there one on the western border?"

But the old blacksmith Brian actually nodded and said: "The West is probably still trading normally with Kantadar at this time."

"what?"

Leon was even more confused.

Before the three of them accidentally entered the Nightmare Forest, they witnessed with their own eyes the tragic battlefield where the armies of Orland and Kantadar fought against each other on the border of Mamor.

They've been killing people so much here that their brains have come out. How can they still do business with each other over there?

“No wonder you find it strange. The reasons behind this are quite complicated and are also related to the history of Orlando.

For now, the Western Trade Route is an important source of finance for Falayer and Greater Wester. As long as His Majesty the King has not mobilized the Duke of Wester, the West will definitely not take the initiative to go to war with the Kantadars.

In fact, I think General Trosa went south this time probably more on the king's order to help your motherland put pressure on the south to prevent the Kantadars from becoming too powerful. We don't really want to go to war with the Kantadars.

After all, they broke through the thousand-year-old holy city of Rolandar in Serrian, which was something no one could have imagined in the past." Old Brian pulled his beard and instinctively analyzed the current situation. As he spoke, he stopped talking with sweat dripping down his back.

Leon listened to him very well, and when he saw him suddenly shut his mouth, he couldn’t help but look at him: “Uncle Brian, you really know a lot.”

The old blacksmith moved his mouth, lowered his head and smiled, interrupting, "I just heard the nonsense from the merchants who passed by. When I was young, I was also full of enthusiasm, but unfortunately I didn't make a name for myself in the army. I had to return home sadly after suffering a leg injury. I am not as talented as you young men."

Leon didn't insist on asking, but tried to get more important information: "So which city in Buneros might still be trading? Do you know how to get there?"

Old Brian suppressed a bitter smile and replied, "It seems that if you follow the road to the town, take the main road, and then head west, you will probably reach your destination. I'm not sure, after all, I've never been to such a far place. I just heard that there is a big city with a busy trade route."

"Okay, after the prisoner finishes writing the letter, I will go to Buneroc County myself to take a look." Leon nodded.

Wait for the old blacksmith to leave.

Leon leaned back in his chair and tapped the armrest.

How could an ordinary blacksmith who had not left the countryside for at least a dozen years have such geographical and political knowledge?

Recalling the strange words he said to himself in a hurry a while ago, Leon felt that the identities of the old blacksmith and Olivia became more and more mysterious.

Forget it. Anyway, this secret doesn’t mean much to me right now.

They had lived peacefully in Selva for many years. If it weren't for the unexpected intrusion of the Kantadar army, the father and daughter would probably have spent the rest of their lives peacefully in this remote corner of the mountain village.

The secrets that you should know will be known sooner or later, but the secrets that you shouldn't know will be troublesome if you dig into them too deeply.

Compared to this, Leon was more concerned about the information he got at this moment.

More important information than whether or not the letter can be delivered.

No fighting on the border of Buneros County?

Then can the three of them go through the trade route there and enter the territory of Kantadar openly?
He stood up from his seat with great joy, and couldn't wait to tell Lohak the good news.

It's a good opportunity to interrogate the prisoner and ask him about the Falcon family in Western Port.

I hope I can successfully find the whereabouts of that kind girl. As long as Lohak's sister is still alive, I must rescue her no matter what.

(End of this chapter)