"Isn't Windmill Village a direct fief of Earl Buford? Why hasn't he shown his face yet?" Connacht asked irritably, pacing the ground as he watched the confessors brought by Crepus haul crates of documents out of a hut.
Connacht's question was met with a heavy, collective silence.
"Hey, what's wrong? Was my question that strange?"
"Earl Buford hasn't been in his domain for a long time. He changed his name and joined the Cleanrot Knights, swearing a life-long oath to follow Malenia."
Crepus let out a dry cough, his somber voice betraying a hint of embarrassment. He continued, "His child is only six years old, so his wife currently manages the territory. Because his departure was considered highly dishonorable, his wife has been claiming the Earl never left, only that he fell ill and could not receive visitors."
"So, did his wife know what was happening in Windmill Village?" Connacht asked blankly.
"The wife doesn't actually manage the affairs; the estate's business was handed over to the Buford family steward. We have already taken the steward into custody and seized a large amount of wealth from his home, but we have yet to find evidence of collusion with the Frenzied Flame cultists," Crepus said.
Connacht's face fell. Even if the steward truly had colluded with the cult, it was unrealistic to expect a mere servant to shoulder the blame for an event of this magnitude. Ultimately, someone of higher status and power would have to answer for it.
"Fine then! We'll just wait until these documents are decrypted!" Connacht said gruffly. "Hmph. I wonder what kind of nonsense those villagers Godwyn took will spout. I hope Praetor Rykard lives up to his name and manages to pry the truth out of them."
"Praetor Rykard?" Crepus asked. "Are you talking about the Frenzied Flame cultists Godwyn brought to the Capital for judgment? They didn't possess any vital intelligence; they should have been executed one by one starting today."
"What?" Raven, who had been standing apart from the group, suddenly snapped his eyes open. "Weren't they supposed to be sent to Volcano Manor for trial?"
"I never heard of such an arrangement," Crepus said.
"Where is Godwyn? He promised me he would send the villagers to Volcano Manor. Even if he couldn't go personally, he should have arranged for someone else to do it!" Raven stood up abruptly.
"Prince Godwyn is still in the Capital," Crepus said, looking at Raven. "He brought the cultists to the Capital for public execution, to warn everyone of the fate that awaits those who follow the Frenzied Flame. Why? Did those cultists know something important?"
"Yeah, those villagers said—" General Connacht suddenly cut himself off. "They've already been executed? Without saying a word?"
"Perhaps some haven't been reached yet. Naturally, cultists of the Frenzied Flame would not be permitted to speak in the Capital; the blasphemous language of their worship must never taint—Prince Raven?" Crepus stopped mid-sentence, taking a step back and looking at Raven warily.
"Godwyn..." Raven seemed to squeeze the name through his gritted teeth. He kept his head lowered before suddenly announcing, "Gentlemen, I am returning to the Capital. Please excuse me."
"Wait! You—" Crepus tried to call him back, but Raven had already strode out the door. "General Connacht, what's wrong with him?"
"Just let him go. I wouldn't recommend trying to stop him. Regardless, he has no stake in this incident anyway," Connacht said, rubbing his chin as he sank into deep thought. Did Godwyn change his mind? Or was he planning this from the very start?
"Everyone, we need to leave for the Capital immediately." Raven marched into the camp and led out his warhorse. "Pack your things. We depart now."
"Eh? What's going on?" Lansang grumbled. " I haven't even finished packing my bags yet."
"The situation is urgent." Raven scanned his surroundings. "I'm heading to the Capital first. Those who can't leave immediately can follow later."
"A Vice-Commander can't lag behind." Lansang sensed Raven's anxiety and leaped onto a horse she had acquired from somewhere. "Let's go together."
The thirty-odd probationary knights he had recruited over the past two days didn't offer a single word of complaint. They mounted their horses in unison, while Okina had already appeared outside the camp, waiting silently on his scrawny steed.
"Jon, Tyrion, lead the trolls and follow us to the Capital. The rest of you, follow me!" Raven squeezed his horse's flanks and charged onto the road leading out of the village.
In less than four hours, the West Gate of the Royal Capital came into view. As they drew near, Raven suddenly pulled his reins.
"What is it?" Lansang skidded to a halt beside him, looking up at the top of the city gates. "Wait, those people are—"
Raven said nothing, accelerating as he charged through the gate. The guards were about to shout and demand an inspection, but they scattered the moment they recognized his face.
Along the city walls, short spears protruded from between the battlements, each tip impaling a severed head. Over a dozen corpses hung from the watchtowers by ropes, their blood-stained clothing still bearing the distinct patterns of the Windmill Village residents.
Okina looked up at the hanging dead and gave a disdainful snort before guiding his horse through the gate. His old horse still looked like it was on the verge of dropping dead at any second, yet its speed remained exactly as it had been when they started.
For some reason, the Great Road of the Capital was teeming with people. Raven didn't know if there was a festival or some other event, so he was forced to slow down, inching through the crowds until he reached the vicinity of the Terrace Square.
Suddenly, a roar erupted from the crowd. It was a mixture of some pained sighs, but the dominant sound was the cruel, triumphant cheering of the masses.
The noise gradually subsided from its peak, followed by a cacophony of chattering voices.
"They really killed a lot of people this time. I can't remember the last time we saw something like this."
"It's just... it looked like there were children mixed in there. This is a bit too cruel..."
"But they were Frenzied Flame cultists! The Frenzied Flame! They aren't normal people anymore—they're a mob!"
"True. I heard the suppression force suffered over a hundred casualties. That's nearly as much as the losses from the expedition to Caria a while back."
"Fortunately, the Golden Prince is wise and valiant. Lord Godwyn can even subdue Ancient Dragons; he's the one those cultists fear most."
Raven froze in place.
He forced his way through the crowd, charging toward the execution ground. This batch of executions had already ended. The executioners and their assistants were busy gathering the heads that had rolled across the ground, tossing them one by one into burlap sacks. Guarding soldiers were loading over a dozen corpses onto flatbed carts, which were then hauled away by a troll slave.
Stepping through the pools of blood, a soldier carrying a sack accidentally tripped, causing a pile of heads to spill out. Every single head had had its eyes gouged out; where the eyes should have been were only two black holes that seemed to be glaring at Raven.
"Stop what you are doing! Suspend the executions!"
Raven spurred his horse onto the terrace and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"My Lord, you are?" Seeing his appearance, the soldiers didn't dare be disrespectful. "Have new orders been issued?"
Raven didn't answer. Behind the terrace sat several prison wagons. A group of people huddled inside, making no sound at all.
"I am going to find Godwyn. Until I return, no one is to be executed! Do you hear me?"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(96 Chapter - Ongoing)
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