Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 364 The Trial Before the Frontier
The trial of the orc warlord Groom came very quickly.

This guy's body really can't take it anymore. If we don't deal with it quickly, he might die.

The Han Hai Territory provided him with some emergency care, but Chen Mo was unwilling to pay a huge price to maintain his life.

Whether in the Starry World or the Blue Star World, life-saving medicines are a scarce resource. Only when the lord and the elf have a good relationship can they obtain a portion of such medicines in stages.

It's such a waste to use it on such a thing.

Then we'll just have to hurry.

Therefore, despite the ongoing battles on the southern plains and the restless northern orc tribes, Chen Mo still mobilized a considerable amount of manpower and resources to hold this public trial in front of the ruins of the Liao Pass in Blackmane Ridge.

The location was chosen here because it contains a large number of orc laborers and human slaves left behind by the "Long-Toothed" tribe. They are the main audience for this trial and the people that the Vast Ocean Territory wants to awaken and win over.

The shattered walls of the Liao Pass behind them symbolized the formidable military power of the Han Hai Territory, serving as the perfect backdrop for this public trial.

At Black Mane Ridge, almost everyone was mobilized. Brigade Commander Galen, with a gloomy face and bloodshot eyes from not having slept for two days, patrolled back and forth in front of the Liao Pass ruins, arranging guards.

That's right, Galen got promoted from major commander of the First Reinforced Regiment of the Hanhai Defense Army to lieutenant colonel commander of the First Brigade of the Hanhai Defense Army, but he was still very unhappy.

Because the defending forces were left behind in this grand battle.

After completely defeating the "Longtooth" tribe of orcs, and facing hundreds of thousands of prisoners, servants, laborers, and slaves, it was undoubtedly necessary to leave a force to guard the area and prevent external orcs from knocking on the gates and internal spies from causing trouble.

It's impossible for the First Brigade of Macaga; that was the main force in the field. They broke camp and headed south the day after defeating the boar orcs, and went to a new battlefield.

The original auxiliary army was even less likely.

Placing them here not only means we can't expect them to defend against the enemy, but we also have to deploy forces to guard against them.

Under the guidance of Lord Chen Mo, the frontline command made emergency adjustments to the troop structure.

Hamon's left vassal army, which surrendered voluntarily, and his right vassal army, which surrendered after being attacked by the left army, were mixed together. The left army was the main force in forming a temporary rebel army, which later became known as the "Return to Righteousness Army".

This unit was deployed to protect the sea tribe's landing beachhead. With the "protection" and "cooperation" of the shallow-water gunboats, there shouldn't be any major trouble.

The portion of the Left Army that was transferred out was incorporated into the First Reinforced Regiment of the Hanhai Defense Army led by Galen, and its organization was expanded into the First Brigade of the Defense Army, responsible for the external war defense and internal security management of Heizongling.

This left Galen with a lot of grievances but nowhere to voice them.

When they attacked Liaoguan, the First Brigade fired artillery, the Guiyi Army defected, and they ended up having to do a round trip.

The First Brigade has gone to fight the main orc force, the Guiyi Army has gone to defend the battlefield, and I've been left here to guard the prisoners...

What's the significance of this brigade commander's promotion?
But whether it's meaningful or not is another matter. Once the order for the public trial is issued, the workload will suddenly be enormous.

Fishermen from Conch Mouth, craftsmen from Xuan Shui City, farmers from the banks of the Illusion Flame River, hunters from near the Black Swamp, rescued miners, and newly released prisoners of war...

And then there are the largest number of orc laborers and slaves of various races who, before, could only eke out a living like the lowest-ranking worms, hunched over in dark, damp cellars, with the big feet of the masters trampling on their backs.

They were dressed in tattered, coarse linen or animal hides whose original color was no longer discernible. Many of them had dark marks and calluses on their hands and feet from long-term use of shackles. Guided by the soldiers, they stood in rows in the designated area, most with their heads down and shoulders hunched over. They dared not even look around furtively, as if doing so would reduce their sense of presence.

In orc tribes, standing out is just asking for trouble!

With such a large and bustling group gathered together, the Han Hai Territory had to draw a whole administrative team from Xuan Shui City to maintain order in Black Mane Ridge.

The entire square erupted in cheers the moment the orc warlord Groom was brought out.

As a force that is based on religion and military, the orcs mainly consist of two hierarchical systems: one is the ancestral divine system, such as shamans and witch doctors, and the other is the military system applied to the army.

From slave soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, combat soldiers, and guards, to captains of ten, one hundred, one thousand, and ten thousand, this basically encompasses the military structure of most orc tribes.

Above that are the three levels of military commanders: Warlord, Lord, and Beast King.

In other words, if Grum were placed on the wasteland, he would at least be a chieftain of a large tribe; if placed on the White Deer Plains, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the number one commander of the plains orcs.

In the past, or even now, this was a lofty existence that the plains beastmen had to look up to.

Now, Groom was bound hand and foot and escorted to the high judgment platform by an orc warrior, a human warrior, a dwarf warrior, and a half-orc warrior.

Farrell, who was invited to attend the ceremony, shook his head slightly and muttered a few words to the priest beside him.

"The symbolism is really strong. The lord of the Vast Ocean Territory especially likes to play these little tricks..."

"It's good that it works; the psychological suggestion effect is quite strong."

"So this is the great unity of all races that lord always talks about, right? Tsk, but the elves are still missing. The elves have such a good relationship with the Lord of the Vast Sea, why didn't they go on stage?"

"Ha, it's precisely because the elves are this lord's staunch allies that they don't need to show up!"

"..."

“I said, don’t underestimate these orcs. After hundreds of years of rule, this kind of inertia can’t be resolved in a day or two.”

"Look, the show is about to begin..."

Indeed, just as everyone was discussing it, a huge change occurred in the scene.

This is an elaborately arranged stage. The Han Hai Territory has built a platform more than four meters high on the ruins of the original Liao Pass, using the collapsed city walls and earth and stones.

Under the azure sky and the gray earth, the front of the platform was an open, barren plain, now crowded with a dense mass of heads; behind the platform was the ruins of the Liao Pass, half of which had collapsed, revealing a huge gap in the middle, with rows of red flags of the Han Hai Territory flying on the pass walls.

As Grum was hoisted onto the platform, some of the orc laborers and human slaves in the front row suddenly let out a few indistinct whimpers and low cries, their voices a mixture of fear, awe, and a deep-seated servility.

Then, the first orc laborer knelt down.

He was an elderly human, with gray hair, and his back seemed unable to straighten due to years of labor and whipping.

His kneeling motion was completely unhesitating, and it even looked somewhat fluid—his knees hit the ground almost simultaneously, making a crisp "thud," as if he had practiced for a long time how to kneel down to make the loudest sound.

The old man immediately bent down, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold ground, his withered palms flat on the dust, symmetrical on both sides, and the distance to his head was exactly the same.

It was an action that had been repeated hundreds of times through countless sunrises and sunsets, and had long since become part of muscle memory.

The crisp sound was like the first domino toppling, followed by the second, the third... a dozen... dozens...

Like a tide overflowing a mudflat, swathes of orcs and humans knelt down.

These low-level orcs had dry, miserable faces, and even their fangs looked dull. They were wrapped in coarse cloth, their large, bony hands were pressed against the dust, their heads were bowed deeply, their straw-like hair was haphazardly covering their heads, and their foreheads were pressed tightly against the ground.

Their practiced movements seemed to be ingrained in their very bones, becoming an innate conditioned reflex. They didn't even think; their spines simply bent down on their own when the orc warlord appeared on the high ground.

And those human slaves.

Most of them were ragged and emaciated. When they saw the dark mass of orcs crawling down in front of them, a fear stemming from their survival instinct instantly gripped them. Their bodies reacted before their brains, and their legs went weak, causing them to slump down as well.

The silent waves spread backward at a steady yet exaggerated speed.

Those craning their necks in the back rows—the miners, fishermen, farmers, and surrendered soldiers—didn't actually see what was happening. They only saw the dark mass of heads in front of them lower down one after another, like crops being neatly cut down by an invisible scythe. So they knelt down as well.

Anyway, since we kneel every day, there's nothing wrong with kneeling. Who knows what terrible things might happen if we don't kneel!

Soon, large sections of the once bustling field in front of the trial platform "collapsed," leaving only a few scattered soldiers from the Han Hai Territory and administrative officials from Xuan Shui City standing abruptly in this "ocean."

Their faces were filled with disbelief and shock, and a deep-seated panic. They instinctively looked in the direction of their lord.

Even more alarmed were the lord's entourage.

Amu, who was in charge of temporary administrative affairs, and Galen, who was in charge of on-site defense, were both pale-faced. Xia Yuanchen, who had been standing by the lord's side and was in charge of intelligence and security, was even more ashen-faced, his fists clenched so tightly that his fingers were digging into his palms.

Chen Mo gave a wry smile and slowly shook his head.

"You see, this is why I'm holding this public trial even when the war is so intense."

"Some things can't be solved even if you win one or two battles!"

Amu opened his mouth as if to say something, but Chen Mo raised his hand to stop him.

"If they want to kneel, let them kneel a little longer. Before some things are smashed, everyone should have a chance to experience them properly."

"Yuan Chen, you personally take charge! Let's get started!"

"Yes!"

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On the high platform, Groom, who had been emaciated and on the verge of death, seemed to suddenly recover during this massive kneeling ceremony. His originally dull and turbid eyes suddenly burst forth with a light that was a mixture of ecstasy and ferocity!
Overseer Groom's chest heaved violently as the rope tightened around him, and strange "hoarse" sounds came from his throat as he tried to straighten his hunched back, attempting to regain his arrogant demeanor.

This scene seemed to transport him back to the pinnacle of power, awakening the last vestige of the conqueror and ruler within his bloodline.

Then, Xia Yuanchen stepped onto the high platform.

He didn't even glance at Groom's ecstatic expression. He walked straight to his side and behind him, raised his hard-soled military boot, and kicked Groom hard in the back of his knee!
"Dangdang!"

An exceptionally clear, dull, and loud impact sound instantly reverberated throughout the entire square through the connected loudspeaker!
Xia Yuanchen stood beside the kneeling Groom, facing the dark mass of people below, and turned on the microphone.

"The public trial is now beginning. Heads up!"

"Did you all see that? The orc warlord you were kneeling before, the high and mighty 'big shot,' is kneeling now too!"

"He knelt here! Kneeled on this land that he and his accomplices had ravaged countless times! Kneeled before all those he had oppressed, bullied, and killed!"

"The Vast Ocean Territory has received numerous accusations against Grum and his henchmen, filled with blood and tears, and the evidence is irrefutable!"

Xia Yuanchen raised his voice slightly, "Today, here in the Han Hai Territory, we have decided to hold a public trial! We want to give the victims justice!"

"Please invite them up!"

The first thing to be carried up was the "Palace of the Skull Crusher".

It was still the same sixty-four laborers. The chains that had pierced their bodies had been removed, but they still carried these blood-stained chains on their shoulders. They carried the huge palanquin like a funeral procession to the front of the high platform.

This was Groom's most prized vehicle, so large and unique that when Groom the Skullbreaker passed through White Deer Plains this time, legends of the palace spread everywhere.

Now, everyone has finally seen what it looks like in person.

Bones, all kinds of bones, piled up to form a monument to the dead.

Countless large, unpolished animal and human bones were crisscrossed, bound, interwoven, and inlaid. Those white, dark yellow, or brownish bloodstain-covered bones gleamed with a chilling light in the winter sun.

Of course, the most shocking sight is the densely packed skulls hanging at the bottom of the "Skullcrusher's Palace".

Most of the skulls have various scars, even clearly visible orc teeth marks. They are spliced ​​together with human skin, hair and sinew of unknown material, and come in all shapes and sizes, the smallest being only the size of an ordinary person's fist.

Each pair of dark, hollow eyes silently stared at the dense crowd below, their jaws occasionally splayed slightly as if they wanted to say something, but of course, they said nothing.

When the wind blows, the suspended bones gently collide, making a soft, eerie "click" sound.

A low shout came from the scene.

Even on Earth, the human bones and skin artifacts used by inhuman rulers to display their authority and vent their tyranny will inevitably awaken memories of suffering in people's hearts. How much more so this place before us, which is nothing short of a "spectacle of bones"!
Next comes the core part of the public trial: the prosecution.

An orc veteran, missing an arm, pointed to several bones bearing obvious sword and spear marks: "These are warriors from our Blackrock tribe... They ambushed us, and right before our eyes, they removed the breastbones from all the boys of their tribe, saying they would make a 'Hero's Chessboard'..."

The veteran suddenly crouched down, clutching his hair tightly with his only remaining hand, letting out a low, wounded whimper like a wild beast.

Next to speak was an elderly orc laborer. He pointed tremblingly to a corner of the skeletal palanquin, his lips quivering, and it took him a long time to finally utter a trembling voice.

“That…that third row, the seventh one from the left…that jawbone with half a tooth missing…that is…my son Karu…”

Tears streamed down the old man's wrinkled face. "He was a good boy. In just eleven springs, he had already worked for the tribe for five years. Just because he accidentally tripped and fell in front of that wild beast while serving the warlord, he was... he was hit with a hammer..."

“I begged them… I knelt and kowtowed… I kowtowed until I bled… They laughed… and beat little Karu to death. He… he was looking at me one last time…”

A piercing wail interrupted the old man's accusation.

The young laborer clutched a small, pale yellow skull that was not even fully ossified in his hands, his voice almost frantic.

“This is my child, my unborn child. They…they cut her out of my wife’s womb. She was moving, she was moving, she was begging me to save her…”

He tilted his head back and let out a long, desperate howl that seemed to tear his soul apart.

"what--!!!"

The howl was like a long knife, piercing the scene and causing blood to gush out.

The accusations grew louder and louder, and several victims fainted before they could finish speaking. Medical staff rushed to their aid.

More accusers rushed forward frantically, lunging directly at Groom. When the guards pulled them away, their teeth tore off chunks of flesh.

The scope of the accusations then continued to expand.

Those from the "Longtooth" tribe who had been captured before—the orc elders with a long list of evil deeds, the half-orc bandits who burned, killed, and looted all over the White Deer Plain, and some scoundrels among the human race who oppressed their colleagues—were all brought to the public trial in rows.

The victims, identified through interviews and investigations, held the belongings of their loved ones, the remains of their compatriots, or their own mutilated bodies, crying and shouting desperately, their voices hoarse and hysterical!

Low sobs began to emerge from the audience, then grew louder and louder. Before long, the kneeling orc laborers and human slaves began to stand up one after another.

Someone, with a hoarse voice, uttered the first cry:
"kill him!"

The sound was like a spark splashed into a pool of oil; soon, the roars in various languages ​​merged into the simplest and most direct howl.

"kill him!"

"kill him!!!"

As the clamor of voices swept across the entire Liaoguan Square, the public trial entered its final stage.

"After a public trial, the facts have been verified! The Orc Overseer Groom, along with a total of 631 criminals including orcs, humans, half-orcs, and hybrids from the White Deer Plain, have committed heinous crimes with irrefutable evidence, their crimes are too numerous to count, and they have aroused the wrath of both gods and men!"

"On behalf of the Summer Moon Alliance, on behalf of the Vast Ocean Territory, and in response to the demands of all the victims, I hereby declare the following: the aforementioned 631 criminals—death penalty! Execution immediately!"

The cheers suddenly amplified, soaring into the sky, as if they had pierced a hole that reached the heavens and the earth on the gray and gloomy Bailu Plain.

(End of this chapter)